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Did
you know?
A gallon of gas
(weighing 6.3 lbs) can produce 20 pounds of carbon dioxide! This
is true for ALL cars weather they get 50mpg or 15mpg.
-more-
Highway vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution
in the U.S.,
producing 26-62% of key chemicals that cause smog and health problems.
- Carbon monoxide (CO) -
62%
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx) - 36%
- Hydrocarbons - 26%
-more-
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Greetings,
Wellesley Recycles!
The
image below shows the results of recycling efforts of many
residents. It all starts with ONE bottle...
The RDF Step-Up! campaign is
based on the notion that everyone can "Step-Up!" their
recycling efforts. For example, if you are not recycling, you can start
with paper. If you are recycling, you can look for additional products
that you can divert from the waste stream, compost at home or become involved
with community education and outreach programs.
It's time to take the next step , by appling the same principals of recycling to your
energy use. This holiday season Step Up and take the ONE action of:
*drive your more efficient vehicle for family trip (or
around town)
*buy a more efficient vehicle
*walk or ride to school or town
Scott Bender
Member, Wellesley Green Ribbon Study Committee
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Action 1: Drive your more
efficient vehicle
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What: Drive more efficient vehicle When: NOW Results: 100 bottles / 200 miles
 If a car was running and you could not see the exhaust,
would the car pollute our environment? While the bottles in the
section above are very visibly removed from our waste by recycling, the
exhaust emitted from our cars is far less tangible, and far more
destructive to our climate. The Wellesley 2007 graph (right)
illustrates the significance of the Green House Gas contribution
from gasoline as compared to the GHG from our Waste.
Think of energy in
a new way:
Reducing your gasoline use by ONE gallon is equivalent
to recycling 80 plastic water bottles! That is like throwing
a plastic bottle out for every 15 seconds on the highway (for a 20mpg
car).
 There are many ways to reduce waste:
The simple action of keeping your tires properly inflated is equivalent
to recycling 900 plastic bottles per year.
Driving a 23mpg car 200 miles instead of 20mpg car is equivalent
to recycling over 100 bottles
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Action2: Buy
a more efficient vehicle
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What: Buy a more efficient vehicle When: Next purchase
Results:10-65% less gasoline per car (example
below 400 gal = $1000 and 8,000lbs CO2)
From ONE Wellesley Driving enthusiast Henry
Dormitzer (and family of four):
Our Prius delivers more than twice the fuel efficiency
of our other cars. That saves approximately 400 gallons of
gasoline per year. I like the fuel savings, but I also like
stopping at gas stations less frequently with each stop
occupying half the time of filling another car's tank. My friends were
surprised when I bought the Prius since I also
like bombing around a race track in a 400 horsepower car, but everything
has a place and the Prius is quiet, comfortable
and (gasp) fun to drive. Traffic laws discourage us from
exploiting 400 horsepower on public roads, but it is great fun to get
that extra bit of fuel economy out of the Prius.
The last time I was pulled-over by the police was in the Prius - for rolling through a stop sign to conserve
the kinetic energy and avoid triggering the combustion engine. I only
wish the officer had tried harder to conceal that he was laughing at me!
EPA rated 50mpg (or 61.7mpg below) never looked so
good!
Now with heated leather seats, NAV, Satellite radio, and more...
Redefine SUV with your next car:
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Action3: Walk
or ride to school or town
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What: Walk or ride to
school or town When: every week
Results: 3/4 mile walk is comparable
to powering the avg. Wellesley
home for ONE hour
Margaret Flitsch * Fitness & Health Specialist * Sprague
Elementary
The "Walk to School" day is an International program that began
in 1997. As an effort to promote healthy, active lifestyles, as well as
to practice the ideals of "being green", students at Sprague
have been participating in a Walk to School day during the first week of
every month. Students are encouraged to use their own energy to get
themselves to school, whether it is by walking, riding a bike or riding
on a scooter. Many families participate with parents, grandparents,
younger (preschool) siblings and pets. All in all this
program is good for our bodies and good for our planet.
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Update: WMLP /
Green Ribbon Study Committee - GroundedPower
Pilot Program
We had so many
volunteers for the real time home power meters from GroundedPower
that the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) has decided to expand the
program! That means that we need additional volunteers for a wait
list. If you are interested, please send an email to greenribbon@power-of-one.us.
Sneak Peak: Save the date - Thursday,
January 28 at 7:30PM
The sky is falling, or is
it?? Climate change - how URGENT?
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Web designer
needed
- If you have web design experience and would like to make a difference
for Wellesley
residents and organizations please consider donating some web development
time to the Green Ribbon Study Committee.
Success stories - Have you made any changes
in your household that you are excited to share? Send an email to
the link below.
Send feedback
to make the Green Scene more informative for you - send email.
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 The Power of One
brings
together Wellesley
residents and
organizations to achieve long-term
reduction in energy use and carbon footprint.
Co-sponsored by: Green Ribbon Study Committee & 
Wellesley
Municipal Light Plant
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